A/N:- Trigger warning: Violence, Sexual assault, gore..

We were a strange love

Her and I

Too wild to last,

Too beautiful to break

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"Tum kya pagal ho gaye ho Ghamandi Rao?"

"Jury's out on that one my Saree ka Dukaan.."

Pallavi rolled her beautiful eyes in such an exaggerated display of exasperation in her husband that for a second Raghav thought her eyes might pop out of the sockets. He sniggered thinking about the same. She glared at him.

"Raghav we are not scaring Farhad."

Raghav Rao, never the one to back down from mischief scoffed and tugged his reluctant wife's slender arm as they slunk into Raghav's study room also notoriously known as his den.

"We are so scaring Farhad."

He chuckled and she slapped her forehead. They saw the people huddled together seated around the room. Farhad was sitting on his usual chair, the one directly opposite to Raghav's which was empty. Nikhil occupied the couch and Keerti was leaning over him, her head kept on his shoulder. Harish was loitering at the farthest corner and Krishna sat beside Jaya occupying the rest of the chairs. Amrutha entered just then with a wrapped bottle in her hand and Raghav and Pallavi slunked further into the shadows to remain unnoticed. Force of habit. They needed time to adjust after all.

"Here guys! I got the champagne. Let's celebrate."

She poured the crystalline amber liquid generously in all the glasses and distributed it to the rest. They raised their glasses to a toast yet none of their faces showed an ounce of cheer. What were they celebrating which made none of the occupants smiles reach their aggrieved eyes? Farhad stood up looking atleast a decade older than he is and went over to touch Raghav's seat. He moved his hand over the edge of the seat and swallowed back the upcoming tears which tasted like ash.

"Farhad... please. It's a day to celebrate. Don't be sad.."

Amrutha kept her hand gently on his shoulder yet her own countenance didn't match her words. Farhad shrugged looking away.

"Abhi.. jiju hotein toh boltein.. mera den mein kaunsa senti Bollywood film chal raha hain? Niklo sab... bekaar ka nautanki.."

Nikhil chuckled wetly. A few clogged laughs escaped at the pathetic attempt of humour. Jaya caught up the string and said next. Her empty eyes lighting up suddenly as if remembering something joyous.

"Phir Pallavi bolta.. kya Ghamandi Rao! Mere Bollywood ko nautanki bekaar bola? Tumhaari khair nhi. Abh bhi jhadoo leke aati hun.."

"Phir hum sabko tom and jerry WW3 point 567 dekhne ko milta. Woh bhi front row seat.. muft mein."

Keerti piped in and Krishna had to rub her eyes vigorously to remove the tears falling fast now. Whether of mirth or sadness, she couldn't decipher.

Yet through all the forced attempts of lightening the situation the sorrow in the room remained palpable and a dash of guilt was suspended in the air. Farhad chuckled finally, managing to gulp down his hysteric inflow of emotions long enough to speak legibly.

"Anna bht proud feel kartein.. you know. The way we all went about this plan and succeeded. It was a masterpiece. He would've definitely approved. I can literally see him smirking..."

His words garbled and choked at the end imagining his boss's smiling face. Raghav who was listening to the entire convo smirked proudly at that. His Farhad knew him too well. He could feel Pallavi smiling brightly beside him.

Amrutha hugged Farhad immediately letting him cry on her shoulder, not bothered about what the others might think. Not that anyone could be bothered about anything right now, other than remembering their beloved unique duo. Pallavi saw Raghav look distressed at his former secretary. She squeezed his hand and leaned against it. Raghav sighed and hugged her closer feeling horrible for a change. Jaya who looked close to tears herself nodded her head and stood up coming towards Farhad.

"Rona nhi hain baccha... dekho ab tum royega toh Amrutha royegi, usse dekh ke Nikhil royega.. phir usse dekh ke Keerti royega, phir main royega aur mera rona itna ganda hain ke usse dekh ke Krishna ro dega... phir hum sab rone lagega.. toh mera pagal beta kahi chudail banke na aa jae.."

Raghav scowled at his mother immediately making Pallavi stiffle her peals of laughter beneath her hand.

"Ye Amma mereko chudail kaise bola..? Ekhum gender kaisa badal gaya?"

Raghav complained petulantly while his wife wiped her tears of mirth and then poked him in the abs to irritate him further.

"Arre tum toh bramharakshas ho patidev... no chudail wudail.."

"Haan ji! Main bramharakshas aur tum dayan... star plus keliye audition dede hum dono? Kya pata select ho jaae?"

"Nhi.. woh toh abhi colours mein zyadaa ho raha hain.. tum naagin ban sakte ho kya? Uska audition open hain.."

"Arre phirse gender change! Main aadmi hain!!! Tum log ko kya lgta hain, marne ke baad aadmi aurat bhoot ho jata hain?"

"Mujhe kya pata? Par jo sab hollywood horror films dikhate the naa tum.. sab mein bhoot, aadmi ho ya aurat ye kahan samajh aata tha? Sab ek jaise hi lgte the mujhe.."

"Tum dekhta kahan tha Saree ka dukaan.. tum mere chest ke andar muh ghusake beitha rehta tha.. aur story merese hi puchta rehta tha.. main BCC ki commentator ki tarah tumko live telecast karta tha phir..."

"Aisa nhi hain... jo bhi ho.. chodo! Abhi dekho bechara Farhad itna dukhi hain.. aur uspe tum chahte the hum usse daraye.."

Raghav looked back at his friend whom he had considered as his younger brother and smiled sadly. Pallavi felt his grief run into her and felt miserable looking at her family trying to look happy while she could sense all their hearts breaking.

Amma's words had made Farhad chuckle and the rest laugh lightly as well effectively enhancing the mood of the room. They clinked their glasses and drank to their toast. A celebration of their collective success. Farhad smiled letting his arm rest over Amrutha's as they all chatted light heartedly letting their tears take the back burner for the evening. Justice has been served finally with the court decreeing the dishonorable discharge of duties for ACP Laxmi Singh and subsequent arrest and life imprisonment for comitting unsanctioned encounters, illegal information handling, direct insubordination of the DCP and first degree murders and physical torture. Farhad had glowed with vindictive joy and a murderous rage while she was being taken away forcefully as she kept protesting the charges and the judgement. Amrutha who had been sitting beside him clutched his arm tightly as if afraid he would launch at the harridan's throat the next second. Though it was not far from the truth. Had Laxmi Singh not been a woman Farhad would have let his hounds tear her apart and fed her remains to the street dogs. He would have personally hunted down each member of her team and keelhauled them to death. But he resisted. With much effort he resisted. Because he knew neither his Anna, nor his bhabi would've approved of that.

So he kept quiet and focussed his wrath and uncontainable grief towards destroying the ACP silently. Raghav always said that his Farhad was a bloodhound. He could smell people's intentions away from a mile. And once he is on the scent, he will dig out the person and all their secrets within days. That is what he did. It was tough but his incentive kept him awake. For days and months together he methodically went on digging ACP Singh's life. And after three months, he had everything he needed to bury her six feet under after burning her alive. And that was exactly what he did. He burst upon Laxmi Singh like a nuclear weapon and let her horrendous secrets rip her into pieces in front of the world. His little team of Harish, Amma, Amrutha, Keerti, Nikhil and Krishna kept encouraging him all the way.

Today ACP Laxmi Singh was finished. Officially and uttery finished. But she hadn't been given the peace for the three months interim Farhad had taken to deliver his final blow at all. There was a part of the story he had kept hidden from everyone except Harish. The darker part. Mental manipulation and psychological warfare was Raghav Rao's speciality. Farhad had learnt from the best. And applied it this time to the fullest. He had let his assassins on those policemen who had been part of Laxmi Singh's team that day. They had been dying since a few days after. Brutally and mysteriously killed by men unknown as the ACP's office kept piling up with unsolved cases. She knew she could be the next. Yet, she couldn't take any other help knowing then she'll have to reveal all her misdeeds. She had been run mad by the end of the three months before the court declared her insane after getting incriminating evidence of manslaughter against her.

Farhad felt them. It was weird but he thought he saw them from Amruta's shoulder. Raghav smiling at him and Pallavi grinning beside him. They seemed happy. An almost childish innocence on their face which had aged them backwards. They almost looked translucent as if a misty curtain. He saw his bhabi send him a flying kiss and his Anna give him a wave and they held their hands like kids before whisking away into the air. Maybe he had had too much to drink. The champagne did taste funny. He laughed mentally at his own ascending madness.

He was suddenly reminded of that day. That horrible night which had visited him in nightmares and hallucinations, every single moment waking and asleep from that day since. That night he had been driving fast in hope of catching up with Raghav who had left the house in a whirlwind after getting a call from an unknown number. He had seen Raghav's face turn white and though couldn't hear what the caller had said but knew something was damn wrong. Raghav refused to tell him anything neither did he take him. He went alone and Farhad waited against his better judgement as per his boss's commands.

There was a rising tension between Raghav and Pallavi since their massive fight over his way of conducting business. They had been hurling hurtful words at each other left and right ever since not bothered about how deep the other was getting sliced and how bloody the wounds had started to look. Farhad could see their hearts breaking yet could do nothing but cringe and wince trying desperately to not get drawn into their lashing acerbic verbal wars. ACP Laxmi on the other hand had started becoming restless at not getting any proof against the notorious diamond merchant. Her superiors were breathing down her neck since that unfortunate shootout which killed Abhishekh. She had to get Raghav Rao, by hook or by crook. Hence she hatched a plan neglecting to see how inhumane that could end up being. She got Pallavi Raghav Rao kidnapped which was hilariously easy given that she travelled alone to her workplace and back. Sunny was a good informer. And just as she predicted, the moment his wife was caught he came running to the lion's lair himself.

Pallavi Rao was getting on her nerves. The woman had shut up like a clam. Not letting her know of any of her husband's secrets. She was infuriating. She tortured her a bit. Ripped out a few nails, slapped her silly.. yet nothing. She was a tough one, the ACP had gauged. Yet, how tough can a woman be till her self respect is threatened. She had just given her to her policemen to play around a bit when that tornado descended on them. Raghav Rao was a formidable fighter. A literal hurricane. He would have killed them all given a chance but Laxmi was faster. She had known that she would never win against this ba*tard so she had to finish him off. Only way out to atleast say that she had tried her best. She had her men tie down the hysteric wife and let her see them rip her husband apart limb by limb. And in turn Raghav could see his wife get gang ra*ed. Laxmi Singh would break Raghav Rao before she killed him.

And broken he was. His screams were music to her ears. This infuriatingly arrogant fool who thought he could defeat her. It had been immensely satisfying to see such a powerful man literally cry and grovel at her feet. And when she had had enough, she let her men hack him down to pieces and had somewhat felt a little bad for Pallavi who till now struggling and screaming under her men was rendered deafeningly quiet at the sight. It looked like the fight had drained out of her with her husband's life. She fell limp staring lifelessly at her husband's mutilated body as the men finished with her. Laxmi thought shooting her first but then thought against it. What if the bullet becomes an evidence?

She let her bleed to death staring at Raghav's corpse before slinking away with her men. Raghav Rao had a lot of enemies. Dangerous enemies. They would make it look like a gang war. The scene was set as such. Her job was over. Only she had not accounted for one Farhad Ahmed.

Farhad remembered freezing at the sight when he had finally reached the place having paced restlessly in Raghav's study for too long. He remembered falling on his knees to empty his already empty stomach. He remembered desperately checking their pulses though anyone could say that they were gone. He remembered calling Harish frantically. He remembered hearing the sirens of the police and the ambulance. He remembered Laxmi Singh's apologetic face. He remembered barreling through the paparazzi. He remembered Harish literally ripping him off the collars of the poor forensic doctors who had dared to proclaim his Anna and Bhabi dead. He remembered Amma fainting, he remembered Keerti screaming, he remembered Amruta holding his arm steady before he could collapse. He remembered crying till his throat was sore and his voice raw.

But more than most what he remembered was his Anna and his bhabi's dead faces. Frozen in a look so gut wrenching. The lines of pain and the marks of tear tracks which not even the rigor mortis could take away. Then he remembered finding Laxmi Singh's number as Anna's last call log. He remembered talking to the inebriated watchman of the abandoned warehouse revealing he saw Laxmi in plain clothes the night before.

And he remembered connecting the dots as a savage anger and blood curdling rage tear through his aching chest. He remembered promising his Anna and bhabi that within the next three months ACP Laxmi Singh will be destroyed. And he had kept his promise.

Farhad looked at the stars twinkling above from the window of the study and wondered whether his Anna and bhabi are looking down upon them from there. Have they met in the stars finally? What was the world above like? Is there a thing known as heaven? If there is, are they happy there? They must be, he countered. The world below didn't deserve them. Now, that the world above had them. They won't leave them. Maybe this was for the better. Atleast in death, they had been together and after that, no one can separate them.

Raghav and Pallavi can love forever now, without restrain, without rancour, without hesitation, without interruption... completely, utterly and incandescently.

The End. Or is it?